A Legend of Space
by Tag
Summary: Beyond the starry skies and into the universe beyond, what battles await in the infinite blackness of space? What betrayals and what deaths are to come? "What price victory?"
1. In The Beginning

A Legend of Space 

A Legend of Space - Chapter 1  
By Tag  
  
"...And so, my fellow Terrans, I urge you! I, Senator Diragus, urge you to vote -" The picture on the holographic projection received from a universe away fizzled to a different channel - a special on the Terran-Zerg conflicts that were still unresolved out in the infinite depths of space.  
  
The narrator enunciated menacingly, "The Zerg!.. The very living embodiments of the nightmares that torment each and every one of us in our sleep." The image shown was a clip that was widely circulated amongst Terran teenagers - a Marine, barely visible inside a bunker, firing wildly with probably his last remaining ammunition at a speedily approaching figure, another Marine? No, this one was warped, twisted, alien features sprouting from the rusted armor... an Infested Terran, an abomination engineered by the enemy, those wretched aliens, the Zerg.  
  
"Predominantly biological parasites that rely solely on assimilating other species into their core genus, such that the basic Zerg creature, the larva, might be able to mutate into these species. An especially good but not pleasant example of this would the Hydralisk." As the narrator spoke, the clip faded to a three-dimensional rendering of a Hydralisk, in horrendous detail.  
  
"These were first seen in security camera footage discovered on a ransacked Terran cargo vessel. The source of the DNA for these creatures came from peaceful, herbivorous creatures from a distant world, but now..." And here, the narrator paused for special effect. "..specially engineered by the Overmind of the Zerg, whatever that might be, the Hydralisk houses an armory of spines within its upper carapace. The plates of this carapace can split open, and are able to eject these spines at such force that they can penetrate two-centimeter thick Neosteel." On cue, the rendering of the Hydralisk spewed spines violently from above its figurative shoulders.  
  
Jim Raynor observed this with a weary sort of patience. After the Confederate nations had rebelled and divided, and he had joined and soon after withdrawn his support from the rebel organization the Sons of Korhal, the change in him had become quite apparent. He was cynical as always, but more experienced in the arts of combat, survival, and war. And in worst-case scenarios, sacrifice. Unwitting trained in this skill by Arcturus Mengsk, he could still remember every cursed detail of how they had left the Zerg-infested Ash worlds on the fringe of Terran space, and left Lieutenant Sarah Kerrigan with them. She had been Arcturus's right-hand soldier... and he had simply abandoned her to the maniacal whims of the alien Zerg. Hardened, indeed, Jim Raynor was. Now, with his new allies, the Dark Templar breed of the Protoss, he brought his forces against the new Sarah Kerrigan - no longer Lieutenant, but now a queen - a queen of the Zerg. Assimilated into their race but never reproduced as a subspecies, she presently ruled all the alien broods with unwavering power. Jim had accepted all this with difficulty, and, although it took time, he had finally summoned his troops up to fight against her tyrannical throne.  
  
'Enough thinking, Jim, time to start moving,' he thought to himself, rolling broad shoulders back with a yawn and knuckle-cracking motions. Switching off the holograph with the press of a button, he then turned his attention to the comm-link, where the blinking red light signaled he had a report waiting. Another switch flicked, buttons pushed, and the tiny holoscreen displayed a man, standing sharply at attention, though weariness showed in the lines of his face. In a clipped military voice the man delivered his report.  
  
"All quiet on the Southern front, sir, and the same goes for the Northern and Western settlements. There was a brief skirmish with a minor Zerg colony out East, but the aliens have since been eradicated."  
  
Wiping his brow and any traces of his exhaustion away, Jim stood tall as well, allowing a smile to grace his lips at the eagerness of the young soldier.  
  
"Very good, Sergeant. Report straight to me if there are any new developments."  
  
"Yes, sir!" The sergeant saluted smartly, and his image fizzled out.  
  
Jim sighed, relaxing, and listening to the creaks in his bones as he did.  
  
"Young 'uns nowadays..." he chunnered, and then halted quickly, reprimanding himself. "You're like an old mother hen, did you know that, Jim? Honestly, I don't know what to make of you anymore..." Muttering things that would have made a Marine blush, he gave his quarters a quick look-over, making sure he knew where everything was in case someone was hit with the notion of sneaking in and stealing his belongings. Deciding all was in order he left his quarters, the electronic door closing with a whoosh behind him.  
  
  
  
- This is more experimental than anything else. What d'you readers think? Does it have the makings of a lengthy saga? Let me know: reviews are always welcome.


	2. First Blood

A Legend of Space 

A Legend of Space - Chapter 2  
By Tag  
  


His eyes widened in surprise as the Gauss "Impaler" rifle slipped from his grasp. The Hydralisk's murderous claws were retracted from the lifeless body, the corpse's face frozen in its last few agonizing moments. Driven by the lust for blood, the Hydralisk sprang over the blood-gushing cadaver. With unbridled ferocity it struck out; left!, right!, the viciousness of the attack leaving the Marines stunned. The havoc and chaos wreaked upon the troops drew other Hydralisks in, and soon they swarmed around, outnumbering the soldiers by at least five to one.

"Fall back!" The commander shouted over the screams of the soldiers and the garbled cries of the Hydralisks. The next moment he was silenced, staring uncomprehendingly at the Hydralisks pine growing out of his neck. The frenzied aliens leapt over him as he fell and advanced on the terrified troops. The Marines continued to fire at the aliens but to no avail, for the majority of the bullets merely ricocheted harmlessly off their exoskeleton, a measly few finding their mark. The scent of the blood of their own brothers only served to drive the Hydralisks to higher heights of madness, though, and they continued the onslaught.

Sarah Kerrigan laughed, watching the attack from a safe distance from where she straddled a Mutalisk in the air. "Give up yet, worms?" she screamed maniacally, amused by the helplessness of the soldiers.

Even as their numbers dwindled, some Marines valiantly screamed back unprintable obscenities, but Jeff, who was not really as patriotic a Marine as he should have been, panicked, and struck his nearest companion down with his rifle before throwing it aside.

"I surrender!" His unusually high-pitched voice was heard over the anarchy of battle. His compatriots froze in horror, and even the Hydralisks stopped, blinking their eyes in apparent confusion, while looking up to their mistress Sarah Kerrigan for a command.

"Ah, good," Kerrigan drawled, descending from the height she rested at to the ground with ease, and dismounting the Mutalisk, waving it away dismissively. "I see at least one of you has some sense in him."

The surrounding Marines loaded their rifles with an ominous-sounding click, but Kerrigan's green-hued lips merely curved upwards maliciously. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, darlings..." At a snap from her mutated fingers the Hydralisks gathered together, spines, claws, and acid-tipped teeth at the ready. "If one of you even thinks about shooting at me these boys will fill you so full of needles you'll look like a porcupine, only you'll be a lot deader. Now did I hear one of you say you surrendered?"

Jeff stepped forward, shaking from head to toe. "That would be me, ma'am..."

"I see," Kerrigan nodded slowly. Another smile spread across her face, this one disarmingly sweet. "So you want to join my ranks, is that it?"

Jeff bit his lower lip, but his expression was invisible behind the windshield of his hostile-environment suit. With a short, despairing glance at his former comrades, he nodded.

Kerrigan continued smiling as she moved closer to Jeff, and also as she ran him through with her lengthy claws. He dropped to the ground with a short gagging noise.

"Then let it be known," Kerrigan sneered at the dying Jeff, "that the things I, Sarah Kerrigan, Queen of the Zerg, hate the most, are treachery and failure." Spreading her arms wide to the Marines who were trying their best to look indifferent, she smiled once more. "But if it would come down to treachery, let it also be known that Sarah Kerrigan will not hesitate to trick and betray. Lay down your arms, my dears, for you are now prisoners of war. Tomorrow we head for the fringe worlds." An evil glint flashed in her eyes as she watched her minions scurry about, disarming the cowed soldiers. _Today the fringe worlds, tomorrow the universe._

  
  
- I admit it: These two parts were originally written as school assignments and had no connection to each other at all. However, I think they coincide quite nicely, so I'm just slapping 'em together to see how they look.


End file.
